9-5-13 Much Ado About Nothing Act II S1-2
Summary: The first scene a lot is happening: Don Pedro asks for Hero’s hand in marriage, but then gives her up to Claudio, who really loves her (Don Pedro is such a good friend). There is a masquerade party which everybody attends, and Beatrice tells Benedick how much she doesn't like him straight to his covered face. Towards the end, Don Pedro, Leonato, Hero, and Claudio decide to try and find a suitor for Beatrice. In the second scene, Don John and his partner in crime, Borachio, plan to sabotage the wedding of Claudio and Hero.
Quote: “Not till God make men of some other metal than earth.Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a piece of valiant dust? To make an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl? No, uncle, I’ll none. Adam’s sons are my brethren, and truly I hold it a sin to match in my kindred.”
Significance of Quote: This is Beatrice talking about how men aren’t as good as they seem, and basically talking them down, and saying mean things about all men. This is a very bold thing to do for a woman in this time. Shakespeare seems to always create a strong feminist role in many of his plays, which is quite amazing, since no writers back then ever would have done that.
Reflection: These two scenes are comparing people with good intents, with those with bad ones. Like in the first scene, its filled with love and excitement and good friendships, as opposed to scene 2 where they are plotting destruction and don’t have a loving bone in their body. I think Shakespeare set the scenes out this way for that contrasting effect, to make it more dramatic. Along with love and friendship in scene one, there is a lot of feminist pride, brought on by Beatrice. Hero is more shy and acts like women should in those times, when Beatrice is bubbly, and the total opposite. Maybe this goes for the same effect as the two scenes. This whole play has a lot of interesting things: Don John and Don Pedro, one being melancholy, and the other happy and kind. Beatrice and Hero, one acts as a woman should, and the other pushes the boundaries. The relationship between Beatrice and Benedick, where they clearly “fancy” each other but always deny it; and the relationship of Claudio and Hero, where they don't fight the love, they just take it in.
Question: Did Shakespeare actually wrote these roles to contrast others, or was that a mere accident?
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